Birmingham bank robber arrested so fast he never got time to order lunch

A suspected bank robber was taken into custody by Birmingham police today moments after a holdup when he entered a restaurant in the same building as the bank and sat down at a table, police said.

The robbery was at the BancorpSouth branch at 1819 5th Ave. North where just after 1:30 p.m. a man walked to a teller's station. He told a teller it was a robbery, and demanded money, said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr.

The teller didn't see a weapon and didn't cooperate with the robber's demands, Williams said. The robber then reached over the counter and grabbed a handful of cash.

Instead of fleeing the area, however, the robber went into a nearby restaurant without ever leaving the building that also houses the bank. North Precinct officers took him into custody without incident sitting at a table inside the eatery.